Chevron is currently one of the best employers in O&G, that's simply a fact. I can't understand where are all the people who are leaving (and there are certainly a lot of them) going? What are the places that offer better pay, benefits, and work environment? I'd seriously like to know. Who knows, maybe I'm missing out on something.
23 replies (most recent on top)
I left CVX in the last month to go work in another industry altogether. I got a 37% pay increase along with an equivalent 401k match and time off. They pay for my health care and i get to WFH. I left CVX bc incompetant leadership continues to prevail and be the majority. People cant admit mistakes and dont care. I will miss cvx for the freedom that it offers and for some of the people. But glad i took the leap.
@3yre, I also have worked for other oil companies besides Chevron. Yes, I do like Chevron, but not for laudable reasons. Now as my career is winding down, I do like that there's no emphasis on getting things done (that is, no long hours - unlike every other oil company on the face of the earth), and you can get a raise (even if it is small) and a bonus each year without stressing yourself. Surprisingly, you also get credit for participating in networks and volunteer work, which reduces your work load even more. Ah, yes, I do like working for Chevron. I keep my mouth shut, do what I'm told, don't answer any 'anonymous' company surveys, religiously attend every safety and diversity meeting and Town Halls (I try to sit near the front so I'm visible). Yes I'm back in the office (again for visibility as a 'team player'), but I really liked the half-day WFH schedule and no commute. Yes, working for Chevron is fantastic. All that I need now is a big fat severance to appear again.
@2pax, Speak for yourself only, I've worked for several majors and prefer Chevron. YMMV.
Chevron is a great place to work….if you’ve never worked anywhere else
Some of us are more productive WFH than going into the office. It's amazing how much more we can get done in a day when we're not wasting two hours sitting in traffic and we can work on stuff that matters while "attending" all those worthless meetings you schedule just to hear yourself talk.
OP, the smart people realize that Chevron is the Titanic, and they believe the reports of icebergs. Work may be good for now, but the future is anything but rosy.
@1odp+1gkKeJRq , I don't think you understand the definition of trolling. If you understood the definition, you would realize that you are the one that is trolling.
@1szu, Yet here you are, working at CVX with such a pitiful life that you troll the layoffs boards, of all things. No need to deny it, it's completely obviously as is what your comeback will be. I take it all those options are not available to you.
Opinion - chevron is the best
O&G employer in town. Drinking the kool aid is the only explanation. What are you missing? Value added work, opportunities to take on multiple roles and a lot more exposure and growth, better career progression, less non sensical processes and bureaucracy, more talented and motivated people, higher salary, sweet bonuses year after year (can easily double your take home year after year and use it for investment even when raises were not given out in the industry for years), flex time, a lot more responsibility and accountability, fun culture where it’s a smaller / closer team, trust and decision making, less hand holding and micro managing. I’ve worked for chevron, other majors and the smaller independents have a been a way better fit. There are the downsides but the benefits and enjoyment outweigh those any day. Just cutting down half the bulls$&#% improves mental health and work life balance. And if you haven’t figured it out by now….good luck to you.
@6xsv, Yes indeed! During WFH everyone got a taste of how it feels to do whatever you want all day, play online games, go out, run errands, take care of kids, etc, and still collect a paycheck while doing little to no work. Everyone now wants a job where they can get paid for getting away with doing nothing or whatever they want all day, on company time. Also known as "working remotely", lol! That explains it clearly and concisely. Life is Good!
Because there's more to life than a salary that's, in truth, more than I need to live comfortably and save for retirement. People got a taste of flexibility over WFH and decided they could take a pay cut in order to seek out a company or industry less likely to implode in the next two decades.
There have been quite a few people attempting to leave the land department.
You are dreaming if you think Chevron, or any major, has the best total compensation package in the oil and gas space. There is a reason many start with a major and then move on to an independent. Early career learning opportunities might be better in a major (although as far as I can tell thats not really true in Chevron the last few years) and a few are selected for fast-tract status, but most petro-techs will be better off long term if they move a few times mid-career and continue a focus on assets that are new and have high potential. In this industry ya got to keep your eye on tomorrow.
Companies like Pioneer and EOG offer better pay, annual stock to petrotechs, better cash bonuses, more vacation, and more autonomy. The 2008+ pension aren’t the golden handcuffs they used to be.
Oh and Tech
If you are a Petrotech, there are not many options available. Other desiplines might have more options as it is not strictly related to Oil and Gas, but REs and Geos have very little use outside oil and gas company and if so the pay is not comparable. As stated many leave for other reasons, for many Houston is not the right place to live/work, there are much better places to move to even if the pay is less, happiness is not always tied to more money.
OP, there was a time (pre-MW) when what you say was true. The pay and benefits (pre-2008) are still good, but the company culture is slowly corroding. MW, plus a clearly downward projected industry, have changed Chevron from a performance-based company which valued innovation and risk-taking, to a social engineering company only interested in the dividend, stock buybacks, and D&I metrics. Be honest, excluding Noble (which has only sustained production, not increased it), the MW era has added no new growth and no clear performance strategy other than the continuous smokescreen of 'transitions' and 'transformations'. Hardly the type of company to be proud of. Enjoy your pay while you still have a job.
Leabos are knowing for being bossy know it all’s so that is a pretty good fit for the job.
Other industries allow more wfh flexibility and are more stable career wise. People are leaving for those greener pastures.
I was reading the January - February 2022 issue of Oilman Magazine and I read a quote from DP in HSE that he was looking for an Openly G-y Female to be the next VP of HSE. He found her and was so excited to share with the world she was openly g-y. How in the he-l is that a skillset or how does that bring better safety to HSE? Are we now announcing our se-ual preferences as qualifications for jobs at Chevron?
Just google Oilman Magazine and read the article for yourself.
I was in FE and let go after 28 years of solid performance 2+s and 1s covering the Permian. I know CVX does not rank this way anymore. Everyone gets a trophy now.
I was replaced by a D&I individual that had nothing but 2s for 15 years. She resigned after 9 months because the job was not fun (that is the feedback my old boss said she gave). Her replacement was another D&I individual that resigned after 3 months because she felt like the Permian was not good for her health. The job is now open. Any other D&I folks wanna apply?
I tried to apply but HR tells me that I can not come back for 3 years since I took the pension payout. Wow!
MW, this is the workforce you have created. All of us old white guys wanna work but we would make your D&I metrics look bad.
All of the white males are leaving now because of MW policies on focusing on promoting D&I candidates. Did you see how many white males were let go in the last reorg to make room for D&I personnel? Mike even talked about it to the WSJ about how many women he promoted in the reorganization.
Another great example is looking at the recent selection for the HSE Talent Manager. The requirements of the role were clearly stated as someone late in career (possible their last job before retirement) that fully understands the function. I am a white man and fully fit that description. They put a D&I person in the role with the note, it was developmental. The rules change if you are a white male in Chevron.
THAT IS WHY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING!
People want decent job security and in the O&G industry there is no security at all. MW will layoff to increase dividends $.0000001. If you can find a more stable company without major layoffs every couple years and possibly work from home then people are going to leave. Chevron is probably the best out there. It would be like being on the worst team in the MLB. Yes you are in the majors but you might be looking for a team that is stable and winning.
tech, new energies. not just for more pay. more flexibility to work remotely and more opportunity for advancement